As the national debate over kratom intensifies, scientists from around the world gathered at the University of Florida to focus on data-driven scientific evidence. The Fifth Scientific Kratom Symposium, held Feb. 17-20 at the UF Research and Academic Center in Orlando, brought together about 100 researchers for four days of presentations and collaboration.
The international meeting featured nearly 50 presentations from scientists representing a dozen countries. The presentations were grouped into key areas, including pre-clinical and clinical research, the production of kratom products and regulatory perspectives.
“We want to make sure people have a balanced view of kratom,” said Oliver Grundmann, Ph.D., FAACT, FCP, a clinical professor of medicinal chemistry in the UF College of Pharmacy and a co-organizer of the kratom symposium. “It has limitations and risks associated with it, but there is a lot of potential for health benefits, and we need to let the science lead us down that road.”
Kratom, a plant native to Southeast Asia, has gained popularity in the United States in recent years, with consumers using it for pain relief, mood enhancement and, in some cases, to manage opioid and other substance use disorder withdrawal symptoms. Its pharmacologically active alkaloids are known to produce complex effects at different receptors in the body with opioid-like effects at higher doses, raising concerns about misuse and product safety. The lack of federal regulation has led to a patchwork of state policies, with some states banning kratom, others adopting consumer protection laws and federal agencies continuing to evaluate its risks and potential therapeutic value.
Nora Volkow, M.D., director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, delivered the symposium’s keynote address. She reviewed emerging research on kratom’s primary alkaloids and highlighted several NIDA-funded studies, including projects led by UF College of Pharmacy investigators Christopher McCurdy, Ph.D., and Abhisheak Sharma, Ph.D., M.Pharm.
Volkow stressed the need for continued scientific investigation and clinical trials as kratom use evolves.
“The market of kratom is changing so dramatically across the country, and we must communicate and educate the public of the potential dangers,” Volkow said. “We have to identify the areas of science that are most urgent and advance clinical trials.”
The symposium also showcased the depth of UF’s kratom research enterprise. Presentations led by Grundmann, McCurdy and Sharma, along with faculty from the UF College of Veterinary Medicine and UF/IFAS, reflected the extensive research network and diverse interests in kratom across the university.
McCurdy, a professor of medicinal chemistry and the Frank A. Duckworth Eminent Scholar Chair in the UF College of Pharmacy, has investigated kratom for more than 20 years. In his opening remarks, he outlined shifts in the kratom marketplace and provided a regulatory update, with particular focus on the rise of synthetically derived 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, products that are purified, highly potent opioids that carry a much greater addiction risk when compared to kratom leaf-based products. He also shared ongoing research from his laboratory on 7-OH’s abuse potential and on kratom’s possible role in helping individuals reduce or discontinue opioid use. McCurdy emphasized the importance of maintaining scientific access to kratom to fully evaluate potential risks and benefits.
“Regulation and education of kratom are key, not prohibition,” McCurdy said. “There is still so much we don’t know about the safety of kratom products, and from a scientific perspective, there could be real health benefits that are worth exploring.”
Beyond the presentations, attendees pointed to new collaborations and shared research priorities as one of the meeting’s most significant outcomes. Those connections, organizers said, will accelerate studies aimed at clarifying kratom’s pharmacology, safety profile and possible clinical applications.
Feb. 17-20, 2026
Fifth Scientific Kratom Symposium
The Fifth Scientific Kratom Symposium took place at the UF Research and Academic Center in Orlando.
